Kohala Lighthouse Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here, and I've gotta be straight with you—this outlook is a tough one to write. We're looking at a solid 16-day window, but the waves are not playing nice for a long stretch. The first real glimmer of hope doesn't show up until the very end of the run, so there's a big gap of over a week and a half with nothing worth paddling out for.

From Wednesday the 19th of August all the way through to Monday the 31st of August, Kohala Lighthouse (Big Island) is a mess. The wind is a constant cross or cross-onshore, whipping up at 12 to 28 mph, and the swell is short-period junk, mostly 6 to 8 seconds, coming from the ENE. The wave energy is moderate at best, with values like 200 to 718 (moderate), but it's all lumpy, choppy, and just poor conditions. The water temperature is sitting at 80°, which is pretty average for this time of year, so no surprises there. This spot is a reef break, exposed to the north, but with the wind blowing from the east-northeast, it's cross-shore all day, and the surf quality is just rubbish. Honestly, for a kite surfer, this setup might look more interesting than for a paddle surfer.

Then, finally, we get a shift around Tuesday the 1st of September. The swell picks up to a solid 8 ft to 8 ft from the ENE, and the period stretches to 11 seconds—that's a proper groundswell, with some real energy behind it. The combined energy jumps to 1323 and 1462 (strong). But here's the catch: the wind is still cross-shore, 15 to 22 mph, keeping things lumpy, and it's only a marginal forecast. For the advanced crew only, this is the closest thing to a standout we've got. The swell direction is ENE, which is fine for this spot, but the optimum is from the north, so it's not ideal. It's a definite upgrade from the rest of the window, but don't expect perfection.

Wednesday the 2nd and Thursday the 3rd of September keep the same vibe—7 ft to 8 ft of ENE groundswell, still cross-shore, but the wind eases a touch to 12 to 19 mph. The energy stays strong (847 to 1368), but it's still marginal. The water temp is holding steady, nothing unusual.

So, bottom line: if you're a patient, experienced surfer, the first few days of September might offer some decent, powerful waves, but they'll be tricky. For everyone else, give it a miss. The blank run is just how it is here sometimes.

Rusty.

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